‹ Florida weather by month

Florida weather in March

There's a real gradient across Florida in March: 81° afternoons in Fort Myers, 71° in Destin.

Based on 14 weather stations. Fourteen stations, Key West to Pensacola — enough to see the state’s real gradient, which on winter nights puts the Panhandle some twenty degrees below the Keys.

Atlantic Coast

Highs 74–81°, nights 55–66°, and 2.4–3.6 in of rain in a typical March.

Place Highs / lows Wet days The short version
Miami 81° / 66° 4 Ocean finally warm, sidewalks finally loud.
Fort Lauderdale 80° / 66° 3 Peak crowd, peak color — the water has caught up.
Daytona Beach 76° / 55° 5 Warming fast, and every motel is booked.
St. Augustine 74° / 55° 5 Spring arrives early here, with a wet edge.

The Keys

Highs near 80°, nights around 69°, and 1.5 in of rain in a typical March.

Place Highs / lows Wet days The short version
Key West 80° / 69° 3 Warm enough to swim without a running start.

Gulf Coast

Highs 77–81°, nights 58–61°, and 1.9–2.9 in of rain in a typical March.

Place Highs / lows Wet days The short version
Tampa 78° / 59° 3 The month everything happens outdoors, and it should.
Clearwater 77° / 59° 3 Bright and warm, with the causeway at a crawl.
Sarasota 78° / 58° 4 Sun, sand, and traffic backed up over the bridge.
Fort Myers 81° / 60° 3 Blue skies, ballparks, and the Gulf turning swimmable.
Naples 80° / 61° 2 Warm water at last, shared with the whole town.

Central Florida

Highs near 79°, nights around 56°, and 3.0 in of rain in a typical March.

Place Highs / lows Wet days The short version
Orlando 79° / 56° 4 Pool-warm by lunch, parade-cool by dinner.

The Panhandle

Highs 71–73°, nights 52–54°, and 4.7–5.3 in of rain in a typical March.

Place Highs / lows Wet days The short version
Destin 71° / 54° 5 Spring break arrives before the water is ready.
Panama City Beach 73° / 52° 6 Busy sand, chilly surf, and a long, bright day.
Pensacola 72° / 53° 6 Warming up, still soaking — spring is a negotiation.

Each place above has its own page for the full story — what the month feels like, what to pack, and whether the timing is right.

Where to go in March, across the whole country ›